A Fish out of Water, Stephen Frears Comes to America with "Hi-Lo"

It’s not the first time British director Stephen Frears has come to theUnited States. In his 1990 neo-noir, “The Grifters,” he walked awaywith an Oscar nomination for Best Director, proving himself quitecapable of working on western shores. It also proved that the57-year-old director cannot be pinned down to genre or style. Hisresume is eclectic to say the least; from the semiotic sexual farce“Sammy and Rosie Get Laid” to the Hollywood drama, “Dangerous Liaisons“to such UK comedies as “The Snapper” and “The Van,” his work ranges frommelodrama to comedy to character study.

In “The Hi-Lo Country,” opening wider this Friday from Gramercy, Frearstreads upon his most disparate territory yet: the western. StarringBilly Crudup and Woody Harrelson as a pair of cowboys fighting for lifeand love, the film is a return to the low-budget arena that Frearsfavors. Speaking from Los Angeles, what he calls the “land of the palmtrees,” the very British Frears speaks here about shooting a Western,studio versus independent, his producers Martin Scorsese and BarbaradeFina, and the current insecure state of British film.

indieWIRE: I read in the press notes that it was important for you thatthe film remain independent from the studios. Why?

Steven Frears: I think that suits my temperament. The people who makestudio films are very clever, but I’ve discovered who I am.

iW: What has been your experience on both studio and independent films?

Frears: I found when I made big studio films, I found it much harder. Ijust didn’t understand the world, really. I found it quitebewildering. Nobody was horrid to me or anything like that.

iW: What about it did you find difficult?

Frears: Spending that sort of money — just bewildering.

iW: And what about the freedom compared with your independent films?

Frears: I had freedom making studio films. I just found the weight ofresponsibility in the money very overwhelming. But it didn’t restrictmy freedom.

iW: Do you feel like there’s more intimacy on a smaller, low-budgetedfilm?

Frears: I just feel more comfortable. They’re values I sort of grew upwith — I understand why money is being spent the way it is.

iW: Tell me about your collaboration with Martin Scorsese and BarbaradeFina. This is your second. [“The Grifters” was their first.]

Frears: They send me this material that I like very much. Twice,they’ve sent me books that were great and I had a really good timefilming. And they’re very. . . I just have an enormous respect forhim. I guess I feel kind of safe in his hands.

iW: Once you have the material, is that the end of the workingrelationship or does it continue through production?

Frears: Barbara makes everything run smoothly. So she’s as attentive asyou want her to be. And Marty’s there to be talked to if you want. He’sjust there whenever you want him — which is great. He doesn’tinterfere or anything like that, but I think there’s no reason for himto interfere, so they’re just really good friends. They’re just goodpeople to be talking to, because they say sensible things.

iW: There’s another collaboration that’s interesting. With WorkingTitle Films, can you tell me about your relationship with them?

Frears: I’ve worked with them now for 10 or 12 years. I guess more. Soagain, I understand their values. I think their success has beenabsolutely phenomenal. When I talk to them, I know what kind of peoplethey are.

iW: Does it get easier?

Frears: Making films?

iW: Yes.

Frears: No. (Laughs)

iW: Even with the relationships you’ve maintained over the years?

Frears: No, you do that because it gets harder. So you more and morerealize on how much you depend on the people around you. No, they’retough things to make.

iW: Can you talk about the new opportunity you had making this western?For instance, how did you photograph this western landscape? Did youand your cinematographer use different lenses than you were used to?

Frears: We shot anamorphic and we’d never shot anamorphic before.

iW: And what was that like? Having that extra room to work with?

Frears: The truth is, after the first few moments, I never thought aboutit. All my life, I’ve worked with cameramen that I’ve trusted. And Itrust their eye. And I was able to talk to him as I normally do. Itwasn’t anything special. At first, I remember thinking about all thoseanamorphic films of Clint Eastwood in the 60’s. I kept thinking, oh, isthat how I have to do it? Then I realized it was complete nonsense. Andin fact, I stopped thinking about it very, very quickly.

iW: Is there a physical or narrative territory that you feel morecomfortable in?

Frears: I trust. . . I read a script and it just grabs me. I go wherethat leads me. It’s not calculated. Often, I desire to do somethingdifferent from what I’ve just done. And this utter dread of repeatingmyself. I just become full of somebody else’s imagination. I find anew imaginary world.

iW: Have you ever considered writing?

Frears: No.

iW: Why not?

Frears: I don’t have the talent. I admire writers. I work with verygood writers. Since I work with very good writers, why would I beinterested in the second rate stuff that I could come up with.

iW: Earlier in your career, could you foresee the career that you havenow?

Frears: No. When I was in my teens, I fell in love with the theater. Agroup of actors came into my town and they were so colorful and vivid,so I guess I wanted to run away and join the theater. Except thetheater that I wanted to join was quite a serious theater. Then Idrifted into film, so I didn’t expect to be a film director. And when Iwas a film director, I certainly didn’t expect to be a film directorworking in American films. It’s been a constant series of shocks.(Laughs)

iW: What is the American industry mean to an outsider coming in?

Frears: First of all, of course, it exists in a way that the Britishfilm industry simply doesn’t exist. It has a clear economic basis. Andit makes economic sense. And it has the economic strength andself-confidence to allow — not just mainstream film to be made — butalso different kinds of films. I think my best work has been done inthose different kinds of films and I include “Hi-Lo” and I include “TheGrifters.” That’s really an expression of its confidence. Whereas inmy country, where the industry has no real economic basis, it’s a muchmore insecure and anxious business. I guess the people who knew itwould talk about the insecurity of the American industry, but comparedwith what goes on in Britain, you have no idea how confident, how firmlyestablish you seem and comparatively stable compared with the Britishfilm industry.

iW: Do you have any comment on the creation of this new British fundingentity, British Film?

Frears: In my experience, what helped me to grow was an atmosphere ofcontinuity and stability. And I would be very surprised, anything shortof discovering oil, would make that sort of stability. I don’t see thegovernment. . . . That’s all I know about, that stability, and I waslucky enough to have it. And although I can see that there areopportunities which exist now which didn’t exist then, I see an awfullot of anxiety and insecurity.

iW: There is a bit of talk about the British independent film sceneright now — what is your take on it?

Frears: Has their been? I’m afraid I’m more skeptical.

iW: Are there any young British directors that you think fondly of?

Frears: There are lots of talented people. What matters is that theyshould be given the continual opportunity. Not say, ‘Go out any make afilm and see if you can hit the jackpot.’ But look, I grew up, KenLoach grew up, making three films a year. That’s what I mean bystability. I don’t see that being offered. Of course, if someone hitsthe jackpot, they’re all right. I just don’t see anything which has afirmer basis than that.

iW: Unless they shoot on video.

Frears: Well, yes, that, of course, gives people a sort of freedom. Iteach and I can see that my students who occasionally shoot on videounder protest, but they do it with a sort of ease which is terrific.Their work like that has a confidence to it and it’s really nice;there’s a pleasure to it. When they make films, they become much moreanxious.

iW: More money at stake.

Frears: More money and it somehow becomes all serious and proper andrespectable. And whereas on video, they’re carefree.